There’s always work to be done in the garden to keep green fingers busy – even in winter. Our June gardening guide is packed with tips, from keeping your garden healthy to which vegetables to grow in winter.

We love this eggshell succulent garden, and so will your kids. They’re easy to make and an effective way to teach the basics of gardening.

Dress up ordinary flowerpots with these creative gumboot gardens. They are also the best way to upcycle your old boots!

Transform an ordinary herb pot into a work of art with just two creative tools: blackboard paint and chalk. Simply paint the rim or base of your terracotta pots (whichever style you prefer) with blackboard paint, then label with the herb name in chalk when it’s dry.

By calling for public comment, the CoCT has provided an excellent opportunity for you to directly influence the budget in the direction you want it to go.

We urge you to have your say by clicking the green button below and to encourage everyone you know to participate in this essential process. As an extra measure, DearSA will compile a report from all comments received and will present it to the City to ensure the voice of the public is not ignored.

Please take action and participate now as the closing date is Monday 29 April.

Thank you for participating in your democracy.
The team at Dear South Africa.

The 2019/20 Budget tabled on 28 March 2019 has changes to the way property rates will be calculated in future.
There is an increase from the point where property rates start to be payable. It was increased from R200 000 to R300 000. The Rate in Rand was lowered from 0.007154 to 0.00555. It represents a 22% drop in the Rate in Rand rate.
The nett effect of these changes is that properties that had a property valuation (GV2018) increase of 30% will be paying the same rates as before. Lower than 30% property valuation will see a decrease in property rates. Those with a property valuation increase (GV2018) of more than 30% will progressively see an increase in their property rates bill.

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Sally Gracie, an experienced local agent and MD of Chas Everitt Cape Town South with offices in Fish Hoek, Tokai and Bergvliet says there are plenty of buyers waiting to take action after the election.

“It is not just an observation based on gut feel, it is the clear imbalance between those viewing properties on the portals and the offers being taken. As an agency that monitors many key indicators, we see an issue here showing considerable interest by buyers but a reluctance to follow through with offers. This usually indicates a confidence issue and it’s clear that at the moment we can attribute this to the imminent elections”, says Sally Gracie.

“We measure four major indicators; the number of people viewing our listings online, the number of appointments that result from this interest and then the number of offers taken and sales concluded,” said Sally. “When the number of people viewing property increases, but the number of offers taken decreases, then it is clear there is a confidence issue we need to identify. Based on our recent discussions with buyers it is clear that it is not Eskom but the election that is impacting on buyers taking action. “

Sally cautioned sellers to not misread the market. “This situation does not mean that we are expecting an increase in prices as we have had a build-up of stock, in particular at the top end of the market where supply has increased substantially since the start of the year. Sellers need to remain competitive! What is needed is turnover, and we expect that movement will pick up, absorbing the increase in stock that we are currently servicing. I think we can say this is good news for everyone,” she said.

A primate murder mystery puts one of South Africa’s best-known wine estates on the spot.

Klein Constantia on the slopes of the Constantiaberg in Cape Town, is one of South Africa’s most famously “green” wine estates. A WWF Conservation Champion, it touts its environmentalism widely. A 2015 book titled The Wine Kingdom – Celebrating Conservation in the Cape Winelands claims that it has “extensive soil erosion plans” and aims to build a cellar “that will be powered by solar energy”. It mentions that Klein Constantia “has also experienced serious damage to their crops caused by baboons, but today most of this problem is taken care of by using baboon monitors during harvest”.

Radical new housing deal proposed

The report, City Leases: Cape Town’s Failure to Redistribute Land, proposes a “radical new deal” for housing on 24 areas of City-owned land, including golf courses, bowling greens, country clubs, and parking lots. These range across the breadth of the City, from Camps Bay to Strand to Fish Hoek. Detailed proposals are provided for five of them:

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PROPERTY RATES INCREASE? YOU CAN OBJECT!
General Valuation Roll for 2018 (GV2018)

The current General Valuation Roll, known as GV2018, was certified by the City of Cape Town’s Municipal Valuer on 31 January 2019.

It contains the municipal valuations of about 875 000 registered properties in Cape Town, as at the valuation date for the new roll, being 2 July 2018. You can view the GV 2018 roll HERE.

The new valuations, and related increased municipal rates payable by property owners, will be implemented on 1 July 2019.

If you are of the opinion that the amended market value does not reflect the reasonable market value of your property, it is well advised to raise an objection as the current determination affects the rates you will pay for the next 3 to 4 years. Owners who disagree with the valuation, have until 29 March 2019 to object to a valuation in person, or until 30 April 2019 for online objections.

The objection process can become onerous and technical. Let STBB’s expertise manage this important process on your behalf. Contact Tim Chase at timc@stbb.co.za

Chas Everitt Cape Town South’s agents have a free online Property Valuation service that will produce a computer-generated valuation based on comparable sales in your area. The agent will professionally vet the data being included to remove sales that are not comparable as without this intervention the figures are not sufficiently reliable. To get this free service go to www.FreePropertyValuations.co.za

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On Sunday, March 10 2019, the Cape Town Cycle Tour will take place along various roads around the Cape Peninsula, which will be closed as a result on the day. Some will also be closed on Saturday, March 9 as well as Sunday.

Locals who are not taking part in the cycle tour are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the road closures that will be in place so they can find alternative routes and not be affected on race day.

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From The Inside Guide: From sunset cruises to a leisurely hike and a picnic on the beach, there’s fun to be had when the sun goes down…

You don’t need to be a serious star-gazer (or a werewolf) to come alive at full moon. The fourth lunar phase – which occurs when the Earth lies between the sun and the moon – is a special time of month for most people. Particularly in a city like Cape Town, whose iconic landmarks seem to become even more exquisite when illuminated by the moon.

Whether you like to enjoy monthly full moons in quiet contemplation on your own, on a board, or riding around the city on a bicycle, we’ve rounded up a bunch of fun activities to enjoy under the moon.

Enjoy this great article and hopefully you’ll get some ideas or be inspired to share some of your own with us! Link to original article

Oh … and remember you can view our properties for sale 24 hours a day at www.cei.co.za